What's up everyone? Neolyph here again to bring you the tenth chapter of A Broken Wizard and a Broken Magus. Got a great response last chapter, so thanks for that. I'm kinda sad though. Nobody picked up on the reference last chapter. I'll give a shout-out to anyone who goes back and finds it. Here's a hint: it's from a Terry Pratchett novel. This chapter is coming a bit late, primarily because I got a bit of writer's block when writing it. Its really long though. Also, next chapter starts Potterverse, so hurry up. Thanks to everyone who reads, reviews, favorites, and follows.
Once again, check my profile for a poll on whether this should become a WBWL story. Only 1 chapter before we get there, so hurry up and vote.
Since nobody picked up on the reference last chapter, I've decided that I'm going to start dropping references to the book in every chapter until someone picks up on it. If you do, drop a review or PM me.
Now, for reviews
madcow360: That scene was more to demonstrate Angra Mainyu gaining a foothold inside Harry than bashing Rin. Harry completely overreacted, but that wasn't really him. Not to mention, think of the situation Rin is in. She is a ten year old entitled magus whose only authority figure in life is Kirei Kotomine, who has not had a friendship with either Shirou or Sakura to mellow her out, has jumped into a Grail war without preparation, was then intimidated into signing a geass scroll by a classmate she trusted, and then said classmate forced her to shelter him, her sister (who hates her), another enemy master, the man who killed her father, and enough Servants to level the city inside her home, only feet above her workshop. Is it really a surprise that she snapped a bit and said something really callous?
Thundramon: Thanks for the compliments on the various parts. 1. The agonizing comes this chapter. 2. The battle scenes were more about the emotions than the fighting, plus, I'm just not very good at writing fights. 3. See reply to madcow360
Dark flame god: Yes and no. Mainyu essentially lobotomized it, leaving the memories and experience behind, but the personality is basically dead.
Delta8: Valid complaints. In order: 1. Enkidu can't bind a god leeching off a True Magician. 2. Gaia knew that Harry could sort things out, and would have intervened had he been unable. This was sort of a test for her. 3. Lily's blood protection protects him from Voldemort,not evil. 4. If Avalon could purge Mainyu from a host, they would have used it on Sakura in canon.
Joe Lawyer: Exactly, Harry's gonna be able to take off his glasses and turn into magical crossbreed of Frank Underwood and Lelouch vi Brittania.
Bonestar: Nope. Mainyu is 100% dead. Took a fully powered Excalibur to the face.
Roxas902: Glad to know you enjoyed it. Gave a hint as to the reference this chapter.
Heika2: Harry is theoretically capable of creating Ea, but Gaia would get pretty pissed.
PhaseHand: Here you go. I humbly beg your forgiveness.
Chapter 10: Recovery
Silence loomed over the courtyard of the Ryuudo Temple. It wasn't the comforting sort of silence brought about by nobody having nor needing anything to say. It wasn't the awkward silence of somebody making an ill-timed joke. It was the still, oppressive silence of absolute shock. Of everyone being stuck in such a sense of disbelief that they simultaneously agreed that maybe if they just stayed very still and quiet, time would rewind itself, and everything that didn't make sense would go away, allowing the world to make sense again. They would close their eyes, and when they opened them again, Harry would be back.
Unfortunately, it wasn't so. No matter what they did, no matter how much they tried to deny it, Harry was still gone, his body vaporized by the use at point-blank range of an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm on his defenseless self. No matter how much they wished to refuse it, they knew that nothing could survive such an attack unscathed, much less a boy not even in his teens yet, and who had likely purposely lowered his defenses to allow the blast to hit him full force.
Ironically, Assassin seemed to be handling what had just happened the best.
After the smoke had cleared, the frantic searching for Harry (or what was left of his body) had begun, and when Archer declared the now smoldering dust that had once been Harry dead, Assassin had only been shocked for a few moments, before declaring her faith in her god and his glorious return. As she kept going on about how her God would gloriously come back, his "great sacrifice" obviously an act to draw the battle against their enemy, the God of Evil, on a plane where they wouldn't be harmed, she was interrupted when Rider turned to look at Archer.
Rider was usually a very calm, rational individual, despite her love of teasing. However, no matter how rational one could be, everyone had something that made their rationale and composure fly out of the window. In Rider's case, one of the extremely few things that could make her thoughts bypass the logical filters she usually applied to them, was harming her loved ones. No matter what, it was a sure way to make her upset, and in this peculiar case, she was more than upset, she was entering an all-consuming, Berserker-like rage. She simply looked at the blackened outline that had once been her beloved Master, then looked at the white haired Servant that had reduced him to such, who, despite the situation, seemed almost unaffected, almost as if, despite the fact he had just been forced to kill an innocent boy, he simply didn't care. After that, her body just sort of moved by itself. She wasn't really aware of anything again until Assassin and Saber were dragging her off Archer as she viciously clawed his face, her two daggers impaling his shoulders to the ground, while she snarled at him, trying to rip his throat out using nothing but her teeth and nails.
After a few minutes to let the red haze fade away, Rider finally calmed down enough to stop actively attempting to kill Archer, simply slumping on the ground, staring vacantly at the spot where she had last seen her Master whole, smiling despite the fact he knew he was about to with the anger gone, then came the depression. She hadn't protected him. She had known that Angra Mainyu would stop at nothing to keep existing, she had been aware that it had been almost too easy to subdue it, and yet she had failed to be vigilant, to keep an eye on her Master for signs that he was not being subtly manipulated, or corrupted. Perhaps if she had asked Caster to check on him, then perhaps her Master wouldn't have sacrificed himself.
Maybe her Master would still be alive.
She slumped down against the wall of the temple, feeling utterly defeated. Beneath her Breaker Gorgon, tears welled. It was funny. She hadn't cried ever. Not when that bitch Athena had turned her sisters' and hers' followers against them, not when she had become a monster to protect said siblings, not even when she had eaten her sisters, whom she had loved more than anything on Earth. Even as little more than a Berserk animal with little intelligence, she had known what she had done at the time, and yet she had not cried. She simply didn't know what to do now. She had been prepared to dedicate herself to Harry, but he was dead now. That word, dead. It just seemed to repeat itself in her head over and over again, drowning her in a cold fury, mostly at herself. She had failed in everything she stood for, first her beloved siblings, then her beloved Master. What was she going to do?
Caster slid down next to her. The blue haired Servant couldn't help but wonder if the gods were still playing their sick games with her. After the ordeal with Jason, she had thought that maybe, just maybe, she would be able to live happily. So she had come to this world and dedicated herself to the young boy she had found, hoping that even if she was a Servant she would be able to experience a glimpse of what a happy life was like, a life without emotions forced on her by arrogant Gods, a life where those she cared for where those she chose to care for, not people pushed on her by some higher force. She could sympathize with his past, with the suffering he had had to go through, and to see what he had become despite that past had been more than enough for her to begin to develop an infatuation with the young boy. She had seen enough people, and knew how to read a person enough to glimpse at what he could have become, and it had been enough for her to consider trying a romantic relationship with him later in his life. She had even begun practicing the skills of a good housewife in her spare time, as she felt she would be happier as a housewife than as a working woman.
Yet it seemed that her past was enough for the higher powers to deem her unworthy of another chance, for despite her glimpse at the life she could have had, it had been taken away from her, wrenched from her grasp before she could truly experience it. Perhaps she had been right to believe that she didn't deserve Harry, that she didn't deserve to be happy.
Across the courtyard Saber knelt, unable to identify the painful feeling flooding through her heart. Had she been someone more in touch with her emotions, she would be able to classify it as "heartbreak". For the first time in her life, she had truly opened her heart to another, and fate had cruelly snatched him away from her. She was aware that he had made an incredibly noble decision, but that didn't stop her from hating him for doing it. Her subconscious mentally weighed her heart and her ideals and she was shocked to realize that her heart was winning. That had never happened to her before. She had always, always placed her ideals before her heart, as evidenced when she had been forced to sentence Lancelot and Guinevere for execution, despite her heart knowing that they had done nothing wrong, despite wanting to save her two friends.
She could only resent her Master for making the most noble decision imaginable, the sacrifice of oneself for others. Didn't he know how much he had hurt them with his foolish sacrifice? Part of her brain was appalled at the thought of calling one's sacrifice "foolish", but the emotional side of her brain rose up and squashed that part with the force of a raging tide. Was this what others had felt? Was this why many during her reign had scorned her sense of duty and nobility? She realized why Harry had forced Archer to swing the sword rather than herself. She wasn't entirely sure if she could have, even with the use of a Command Seal. Perhaps she understood now. In a contest between her Master and her honor, she now knew which would win. It was a shame the knowledge had come too late.
"That didn't really just happen, did it?" Leanna kept repeating in her mind.
Things like that only happened in stories, right? The big hero sacrificed himself for his friends and loved ones, and when the smoke cleared he was still standing there, smirking. Because of that, when the light had flashed and the shield had fallen, she hadn't been worried. She just knew that the wind would blow, revealing her Master. Then he would run up and hug them and kiss them and then they would all go home and he would cook them delicious dinner and then everything would be alright and happy again. It sounded childish, but she just knew that it would happen. Then the wind had risen up and shown nothing but a blackened scorch mark and her heart had sunk like a rock. Even now, as she sat weeping with her sisters she was half-expecting him to suddenly pop out from behind a corner and yell "Gotcha!". In the deepest part of her brain, though, she knew that he wouldn't.
Joy sat leaning into her sisters, taking comfort in their warmth. Harry had been her light. She suffered from a nearly crippling social anxiety. Outside of him, Sakura, her sisters, and her fellow Servants, there were few people she could talk to. Once, she had attempted to go grocery shopping at a nearby market and had nearly had panic attack at the sheer number of people surrounding her. Fortunately, Harry had sensed her distress and come to get her before she had lost it and attacked an innocent bystander.
Early on in her life, she wasn't even that comfortable around Sakura, so she really only had Harry and her sisters to talk to. Her sisters hadn't made very good conversationalists as they didn't know very much about the world either, which led her to talk almost solely with Harry. He had slowly eased her out of her shell, introducing her to the wide world of agriculture, taking her to nearby farms so that she could study them, getting her to befriend Sakura, and even defying Zouken by building a small garden for her in the very limited space of his workshop. Without him, she just didn't know what she would do.
As the oldest sibling and the role model, Monica knew that it was her duty to be strong for her sisters, but by the Root was it hard. Every fiber of her being wanted to cry, scream, throw something, or collapse on the floor sobbing, but she knew that she couldn't. Harry had trusted her to assist him and manage her sisters. She couldn't let him down, even in death. Failure to carry out her duty would be a betrayal of everything that he stood for. She couldn't let that happen. If she let herself break now, she didn't even know what her sisters would do. Her study of magecraft had led her to become a hyper-rational being, and yet even she was crushed by this loss. Her siblings would be much worse, since they had nowhere near as much control on their emotions. She steeled herself and hugged her two siblings close to her, providing them comfort, while also taking some for herself.
Unlike Monica, Illya was much more vocal in her displeasure. She cried, screamed, and just generally threw a tantrum at the loss of her Big Brother, one of the only people in her life to ever truly care about her. It just wasn't fair! Berserker seemed to agree with her, as he was rapidly looking around the clearing, as if searching for something to kill in response to the death of the tiny boy both he and his Mistress had grown rather fond of. Not many things imprinted on his insane mind, but he possessed an overwhelming need to protect very small children in bad situations. It was why he had grown so protective of his Mistress. Now the other boy he had sought to protect was gone. Someone was to blame, and he would find them and smash them! Illya's two maids looked sullen at the young child that had drawn their charge out of her shell, not to mention treated homunculi like themselves as people instead of tools, and wept silent tears at the tragedy of it all.
Sakura knelt in the center of the courtyard, staring at the black outline of Harry. As she stared at that dark smear, something inside of her broke. She had never been very emotionally stable, not since her adoption by the Matou family anyway. The only thing that really kept her together was Harry. He was the light of her life, her reason for getting up in the morning, her reason for living on.
And he was gone.
"No he isn't!" her heart cried at her. She couldn't accept it. He wasn't dead.
He wasn't. And she would wait for him to return. Then they would be together again and everything would be alright. She just had to wait for him to come back.
Even if she had to wait the rest of her life.
-Break-
Traditionally, upon waking from blissfully uneventful insensibility, one would ask: "Where am I?" Well that, or "uuuhhh…", since those two were probably the most common things the brain could come up with while trying to process new information.
Harry said it.
Tradition allowed a choice of second lines. A key point in the selection process was an audit to see that the body still had all the parts the brain remembered having the day before.
Harry checked. Then he realized that he didn't seem to possess hands, or a body. Neither of these really bothered him, despite how utterly strange the feeling was.
Then came the tantalizing bit. Now that the snowball of consciousness was starting to roll, was it going to find that it was waking up inside a body lying in a gutter with something multiple, the noun didn't matter after an adjective like "multiple", nothing good ever followed "multiple", or wasit going to be a case of crisp sheets, a soothing hand, and a businesslike figure in white pulling open the curtains on a bright new day? Was it all over, with nothing worse to look forward to now than weak tea, nourishing gruel, short, strengthening walks in the garden and possibly a brief platonic love affair with a ministering angel, or was this all just a moment's blackout and some looming bastard was now about to get down to real business with the thick end of a pickaxe handle?
At this point some outside stimulus would be helpful. "It's going to be all right" was favorite, whereas "Did anyone get his number?" was definitely a bad sign; either, however, was better than "You two hold his hands behind his back".
The complete silence unfortunately didn't give him any helpful indications.
Normally at this milestone in the restoration of consciousness the pain would hit him like a freight locomotive. Oddly enough, no pain came at all, but then again, neither did any physical sensation.
Finally, Harry gained enough semblance of self-control to open his eyes. That is, he would have opened his eyes had he possessed eyelids, or eyes. Instead, it seemed that vision and color simply popped into existence, blinding him with its radiance.
"Arrgh," he managed to moan, through a nonexistent mouth, with nonexistent vocal cords. Were he not incredibly confused, the magus side of him would be demanding that he find out how that was possible. As it was, he had more important matters to figure out.
Like how the Root he was still alive.
Last he remembered he was staring down Archer as a command seal forced the Servant to kill him. He remembered channeling all of the prana he could muster into his Servants, so that even after his death they would never have to worry about taking on a new Master to support themselves. Then the shield had fallen, allowing the sound it had been blocking through.
"Harry!"
"Big Brother!"
"Master!"
Each of the shouts drove the nail deeper into his heart. This time he did feel pain. Deep, burning pain raced through his heart as each desperate, panicked scream echoed in his mind, nearly driving him mad with guilt. Out of everything, it had not been the knowledge that he was going to die that had been the hardest on him, as his life had left him with enough experience to know that Death would likely not be too bad. No, what had made the decision the hardest was the knowledge that he was going to deeply hurt those he cared for.
He had hurt them, and he knew it. What he did though, he also knew was necessary.
But why did it have to be so Root-be-damned hard?
Despite his eyes being open, all he could see were the shocked and horrified faces of his loved ones as they gazed upon him for the last time. He could still see Sakura's tears glistening on her face as she screamed and screamed for him to live, even as the sword descended on him.
In an attempt to remove that image, he looked around at his surroundings. He saw that he was in Ryuudo Temple, at around sunset. He looked down at his body to discover why he couldn't feel it.
It wasn't there.
It took a couple seconds to mentally process this, before panic struck him. He saw a blackened, oddly human shaped smear of soot on the ground, and he realized that it was him, his body. The question then came as to exactly how he still existed. Was this the afterlife? Just floating about without a body, unable to interact with anything? No, if it was, things like Heroic Spirits and the Akashic record of humanity wouldn't exist. It didn't make any sense why this would happen to him after death. Unless he wasn't really dead that was, or if Angra Mainyu was torturing him now that they had both, by all rights, ceased to exist in a way that would allow them to interact with the physical world.
Then, information shot through his brain like a switch being flipped. He saw Zouken implanting remnants of the Angra Mainyu-tainted Grail into his body, making him an evil version of the Lesser Grail. He wasn't exactly sure how, but he knew that they were responsible for his current state of living consciousness even without a body. He still wasn't sure exactly how that worked, the only magic he was familiar with that could cause someone to continue consciously living without a body was...
Heavens Feel
And suddenly everything made sense. His knowledge of the First True Magic must have somehow powered or charged the Grail pieces implanted in him, causing him to master some form of the Third True Magic. From what he knew of it, the Third Magic, the Heavens Feel, was the closest thing that existed in magic to true immortality. It turned the user to simply a soul residing inside a body, rather than the two being co-dependent. Upon the destruction of the body, the user simply became a disembodied consciousness. The only way to completely neutralize such a being would be to drain it of all magical energy, rendering it unable to sustain itself. As a counter, the Third Magic turned the soul into a perpetual motion machine of sorts, making it capable of producing prana, rendering it impossible for the user to be drained.
He nearly wept at the knowledge that he would be able to return to his loved ones. All he had to do was generate enough Od inside him to fully craft a body. Between his knowledge of Alchemy, Biology, and the First True Magic, he figured that it wouldn't be that hard. The only problem with that was that he was slightly wary of how preforming magic without a body would effect it. It would probably take a couple of hours for him to ensure no problems arose during the formation. It then occurred to him.
"Where is everyone?"
They had probably gone back to the Tohsaka estate. He would go down there himself as he mentally created the blueprints for his body. He needed to make sure that everyone was still alright. It wouldn't be pleasant, having to watch them mourn him after his sacrifice, but he needed to be sure.
First though, he needed to figure out how to move.
It was rather strange, not possessing a body. He had heard of amputees who experienced phantom limbs, feeling the limb that had been removed despite it not actually being there. This was a similar sensation, but consisting of his entire mass. Even stranger, the imaginary limbs actually responded to his attempts at moving them, and propelled him along the ground. It took him a couple of tries, as the sheer unfamiliarity of the experience resulted in him simply falling on his face. Of course this didn't hurt, nor did he even feel the sensation of touching the ground, but he could still push himself off of it and keep moving.
On the way back to the Tohsaka estate, he wondered if he would be able to move things or touch people in his spiritual form. He tried it on a pedestrian walking outside the temple, but she didn't react when he barreled into her as fast as he could move. Instead he simply bounced off of her and fell on his back.
He arrived at the conclusion that he was essentially a Servant in astralized form. As spiritual being themselves, he wondered if his Servants would be able to detect him. His scientific mind concluded in the negative since his astralized body had been in the same spot his physical one had died, indicating that it had been there since he was destroyed. If his Servants could see him, they would have done something, or waited around for him to wake up.
Root, something told him that this whole "immortality" thing would be useful when his Servants and Sakura got their hands on him after his little stunt.
-Break-
Kiritsugu sat at the dining table of the Tohsaka manor, holding his head in his hands as he silently wept for the boy who had gone through so much. He had completely failed as an adult. Here he was, a grown man, who had sat and watched an eleven years old boy walk off to his death. He should have been there, should have done something. So what if he was almost half-dead? The impossible had never stopped him before, and it shouldn't have stopped him now! He should have asked one of the Homonculi to drag him there, or at least somewhere where he would have been able to intervene had the need occurred!
What was even worse was that he had been in a very good mood prior to the announcement from the others. He could tell the second that the Grail had been destroyed, as the curses that had slowly been killing him disappeared, dying along with their creator. He had wept in relief at the success of the mission, and now he wept in grief at the cost. He didn't want to live if it came at the cost of an innocent's life, he had had more than enough time, had done enough to be at peace with the idea of dying! Especially not since the one who had allowed him to reconcile with the daughter he had thought he would never see again had given his life for it!
Perhaps if he had gone with them, he could have thought up some solution. Maybe he could have transferred the evil god to himself and taken the blow instead. Anything would have been better than what happened.
He didn't know how to make it up to young Harry. The only thing he could think of would be to take Sakura under his wing and raise her along Illya. Now that he wasn't slowly dying, he was so relieved that he would be able to see his daughter grow up. Well, not really grow up since she was a homunculus, but the idea was sound. With someone like Sakura as a sister, it would hopefully stamp out the slightly sociopathic tendencies his little girl had picked up from the Einzberns. Unfortunately, he didn't have high expectations for that. It seemed to be part of her personality at this point.
What would Irisviel say if she could see him now?
-Break-
Harry arrived at Rin's home, surveying the house for a moment before taking a tentative step past the small line marking the edge of the bounded fields surrounding the mansion. With a sensation like being wrapped in plastic, he passed through the barrier without incident. He floated up to the doorway and reached for the handle before checking himself and simply walking through it. His mental processing to recreate his body was nearly complete. He would be able to do it here. Maybe the surprise would suppress the immediate violent reaction.
He floated around the house, searching for the girls. As he passed through the living room, he saw Rin nursing a cup of tea, eyes red and puffy from crying. He made a note to apologize for her for snapping at her earlier. He had figured out that it was Mainyu's influence, but it was somewhat his fault for making her bad situation worse.
He found his way back to the guest room they had stayed in, and hesitated at the door. He hated the idea of seeing the girls grieving for him.
No, he deserved this. Even if he couldn't think of another option at the time, he had hurt them. The least he could do would be to look at what he had caused.
Slowly, he stepped through the door and into the room.
The sobbing was what got him the most. There wasn't a dry eye in the room, with the exception of Assassin. Sakura and Illya were sitting in the center of the bed, curled up in sleep, having cried themselves into exhaustion. The sheets beneath them were completely soaked from tears. Holding their heads in their laps were Rider and Caster. Rider had glistening tears running down her face as she gently brushed Sakura's hair, to comfort both herself and the sleeping girl. Caster had Illya using her as a pillow and despite usually never breaking composure, was a sobbing mess.
His two younger maids were both sitting in a large armchair, both crying their eyes out while Monica stood behind them, running her fingers through their hair and whispering comforting words. Fortunately, neither were paying attention to her face, because she was crying as much as they were. Saber sat across the room, glaring at Archer through a film of tears, hand twitching as if barely restraining from drawing Excalibur herself. The Servant of the Bow just endured it, looking at the floor guiltily, his face covered in bandages and two large cloths encasing his shoulders, evidence of some injury.
Harry regretted forcing the Servant to swing the sword, but he couldn't bear the thought of making Saber do it. With her being as she was, she would have immediately committed suicide, even if she was not at fault, but her notion of honor would accept nothing less from her, and telling her to not do it would be the equivalent to spitting on everything she had sacrificed in her life.
Assassin simply stood impassively in the corner, appearing entirely unaffected by events. Given the nature of her devotion, he imagined that she simply denied his death, or had faith in his glorious resurrection. He would have gotten a headache had he possessed a head at what his literally coming back from the dead would do to the black haired Servant's devotion. He dearly hoped that she didn't get in her head that now that he had "proved" himself a God, that he needed a Messiah, preferably one born of him and his most faithful follower.
As he gazed at his loved ones, he felt the formation of his body complete. He closed his eyes and reviewed it carefully. One slip up with the nucleic acid and he'd be reborn as a duck. After several minutes of intense concentration, he found no fault with the process. It would restore his body as it was, with the exception of the scars. He didn't need another reminder of Zouken. He initiated it.
-Break-
The room was quiet as Rider sat on the bed, holding Sakura's head in her lap and comforting her, despite her own tears and self-hatred. She was slightly concerned for Sakura. The girl had knelt over Harry's ashes for a couple minutes before mumbling over and over to herself that he wasn't dead, in a slightly unhinged manner. She didn't stop this monologue until she had fallen asleep in her lap at the Tohsaka manor. Then it seemed the floodgates broke and she started crying out for him in her sleep, and it took her intervention to get her to calm down enough to simply sob quietly.
A light started glowing near the doorway. Fearing an attack, she jumped up to shield Sakura and Illya, Caster mimicking her actions as Saber drew her sword, Monica flicked her wrist, extending her staff, and Archer summoned two swords while Assassin oddly didn't react. The two children looked up sleepily, confused as to the loss of their pillows.
Blue electricity flickered around the doorway, focusing on a point and slowly kicking up a cloud of smoke. The arcs of blue lightening then intensified, changing the cloud of dust into something looking like a thundercloud.
The Servants tensed, ready to annihilate whatever came out.
A small, shoe clad foot stepped out of the smoke. Everyone froze, except Assassin, who dropped to her knees in reverence.
Harry stepped out of the smoke, a very uncertain smile stretching his face as he surveyed the occupants of the room. He was scratching his head awkwardly, sheepishly, as one would do when faced with a group of angry, grieving, and most likely emotionally unstable women, whose emotions could just as well switch to elation than to anger, making him a prime target for their fury.
"I'm back," he whispered softly, almost uncertainly.
Saber was the first to react, hesitantly, as if unsure as to whether or not he was real, she stepped towards him. She reached out, caressing his cheek, her still armored hand softly trailing his face.
After several seconds of inspecting his face, and making sure that she wasn't seeing things, she then reared back and delivered a backhand that sent him impacting against the door, several feet away.
"WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING YOU IDIOT?!"
At seeing the attack upon her newly returned Master, Rider simply reacted without thinking. She flashed forward, pinning Saber to the wall and delivering a brutal knee to her stomach, making use of her height advantage. The blonde doubled over, but the taller woman grabbed her throat, pushing her against the wall. She might not have noticed yet, but the way the purple-haired Servant was hissing lowly was eerily similar to a snake about to attack, and warning the one that had upset it that they better get the Hell away before they were hurt. Her hair had even begun shifting slightly, almost as if it had a life on its' own, and was about to attack.
"Don't you ever do that again. Angry at him or not, you don't touch Master like that again. Understood?" she hissed through clenched teeth. It was an overreaction, but his death had caused her to become paranoid for him. Nothing would ever touch him without his permission while she anywhere nearby. She was a protector, and she was damn well going to protect him. He had died because she had failed in her duty to shield him, and she would never fail again. She had gotten a third chance, and by all those wretched Gods above, she would rather dismember herself with a rusty spoon than ever entertain the idea of failing again.
Saber looked slightly guilty, before nodding. There were still a few tense moments as the purple haired Servant glared at the blonde one, still holding her by the throat.
"Let her go, Rider. I deserved that one," groaned Harry, from his place on the floor.
"As you wish, Master," she said coldly, letting up her grip on the Servant.
She turned to see him picking himself up off the ground, dusting his clothes off. She rapidly checked him for visible injuries, sighing in relief at his apparent health.
Two blurs, one purple and one white whipped past her, almost matching her own speed, before colliding into Harry with the force of a speeding bullet.
"Harry!"
"Big Brother!"
"Hey you two," he said, groaning under their weight as they latched onto him, "I know it doesn't make up for any of it, but I'm really, really sorry."
Sakura just nuzzled into his chest happily, having gotten over her denial. He was back, that was all that mattered. "It's alright, you're back now. That's all that matters."
Suddenly, a black aura manifested over her head, as her shadows responded to her will.
"But if you ever think ofleaving me like that again, we are going to have a problem," she said threateningly, her hug growing slightly painful.
He raised his hands in surrender. While Sakura was normally a very sweet girl, the few times she was truly upset, she became someone entirely different, who stopped at nothing to get what she wanted. And by the Root, he didn't want someone like that willing to hurt him.
"Alright! Alright! You win!"
"Alright then!" she said, smiling pleasantly, "You're all forgiven, but don't do that again!"
Leaning down, she gave him a long peck on the lips, making sure that Harry knew better than to break the kiss, before eventually letting him go and standing up, a wide smile on her blushing face. Illya clung to him a few moments longer, so he stood up anyway. She stayed clamped on him like a tiny white haired monkey, so he just let her stay there. If this was her way on making sure that he was truly there, he would oblige her. That, and he could feel the moisture of her tears soaking through his shirt, so he wasn't about to move her.
The second he was on his feet again, the maids jumped him. Leanna and Joy were just happy that he was back; Monica was as well, but the harsh whispers she gave him while she hugged him were a good warning as to what she would do if he was reckless again. Although her threat was less than impressive since she couldn't prevent her voice from croaking in happiness.
Caster and Rider both hugged him, Caster subtly checking to ensure that he really was back and wasn't some elaborate impostor, Angra Mainyu had tried to come back once, she wasn't about to let it desecrate her Master's memory by passing itself as the loving boy she cared for. Once she was satisfied, she joined Rider in attempting to crush his ribs.
Saber looked conflicted from her position in the corner. Harry wasn't entirely sure what change she had undergone after his death, but it appeared at least to be a positive one. Prior to his death, she would have praised him for his selfless, noble, and admittedly stupid sacrifice. Instead, she slapped him and called him an idiot. At least she seemed on track to learn how to act more like a human and less an emotionless machine.
It seemed Saber reached a decision, because she marched right up to him, face red, and grabbed his cheeks. Rider watched her like a hawk, tensing in case she needed to intervene. She had not forgotten the backhand the blonde had given Harry earlier, and while she didn't think the blonde would do something like that again, she would not assume the best.
The blonde kneeled in front of him, and, swift as a snake, grabbed his head, and crashed her lips on his. It was…different from the kisses he was used to from his other Servants, truth be told, as Saber seemed to have absolutely no experience at kissing, and was just clamping her lips on his, while shoving her tongue down his throat, an action that made him widen his eyes comically.
He was completely floored. Saber had always seen herself as a weapon first, a knight second, and a woman didn't even rate the list. For her to take an action as bold as kissing him, French kissing him even, showed some major change in her. He would have to ask her about it later, when they were away from prying ears.
Eventually, she released him, allowing them to take a deep breath each, the blonde knight's face a crimson red, and her breathing a bit too fast. Still, her face was set in a stern mask as she stared at him.
"Your idiotic sacrifice made me... reconsider my value system somewhat, Master. I may be your Sword, but I can also be your woman. No, in fact, I will be your woman if it is the last thing I do. You owe that much to me, at the very least. Or will you not take responsibility for your actions?" she asked.
He put a hand on her shoulder, looking into her green eyes, before reaching up and reciprocated the kiss. It appeared that this broke her stern resolve because her face flashed up red again and she returned it.
The kiss didn't last long, but it didn't have to. Saber was just coming to terms with her emotions, it wouldn't do good to go much further than he did. Saber seemed perfectly satisfied by the end though.
He looked around the room for Assassin, but didn't see her. Not until he looked down anyway. She was on her knees, head pressed against the floor (a task he wondered how she managed to accomplished, since her breasts should in all logic prevent her from doing so), and was occupied muttering prayers to him under her breath. He just sighed in exasperation, knowing that all hope of ever convincing her that he wasn't some form of divine entity had just been lost by his resurrection. He knew that the only way to get her to stop groveling was to reward her faith.
"Good job, Assassin. Rise."
Like a shadow, she rose to her full height before taking a stance behind his shoulder. Knowing her various insecurities, he turned around, reached up, and patted her on the head. The veritable purr this elicited showed that he had taken the correct course of action. Something told him that he was going to regret rewarding her fanaticism later, but for now he guessed it was the best he could do.
Finally, Caster looked at him. While relieved, she also seemed perplexed, a valid reaction to the fact that he had essentially just reformed from nothing.
"Master, I know this may not be the most opportune time, but I do have to ask. How, exactly, are you still alive?"
"Well," he chuckled awkwardly rubbed his head, "It's kind of a long story."
-Break-
Harry was busy getting ready for bed. He had explained the appearance of the Third Magic and his theory for his possession of it. Caster had seemed intrigued, Illya was awed, and Assassin seemed to entirely ignore it in favor of her "glorious and holy resurrection" theory. He just let her be, knowing that he would never sway her from the idea anymore. Halfway through the discussion Rin had come in about something and passed out in fright at seeing him. He'd explain things to her in the morning, to leave her the time to come to terms with things. Kiritsugu had come by to see what all of the commotion was about and upon learning that Harry was real, surprised him by enveloping him in a parental hug.
He had to admit, it felt rather good, to have a parental figure that didn't beat him or torture him. He had returned the hug and Kiritsugu had thanked him profusely for both finishing the job he couldn't and cleansing him of the curse, meaning that he could look after Illya. The Magus Killer then offered to adopt both him and Sakura. He had opened his mouth to state his indecision when Illya made the decision for him, crying that now "Big Brother and Big Sister will now really be Big Brother and Big Sister! Yay!" as she jumped up and down and celebration.
Berserker had materialized halfway through the discussion and had stood glaring at Kiritsugu as he usually did. What caught Harry off guard was when the ebony giant focused his gaze on him, stomped over, and patted him on the head a few times with a hand the size of a dinner plate before stomping back over to a place between him and Illya, glaring at Kiritsugu all the way. Harry was entirely gobsmacked.
That was almost a tearful reunion from the Greek giant!
Sella and Leysritt had followed in after Kiritsugu, for similar reasons. He was once again stupefied when Leysritt gave him a big hug like Leanna, while Sella gave hers in a far more reserved manner, whispering thanks in his ear for what he did for Illya.
Once all of that was over, Berserker had materialized outside the door as he usually did while Illya's two maid went to the guest room they shared. Which led him to his current situation. As he removed his shirt, revealing his now unscarred torso, a multitude of lights suddenly flashed in front of him, while a man appeared in the room. An elderly man with a bushy beard, graying hair, and red eyes bearing a twinkle of madness. And the man responsible for sending here in the first place.
In an instant, Rider had him pinned to the floor, dagger at his throat and Assassin had a grip on his head, ready to pop it at his orders. He was a bit surprised by the lack of reaction from their guest, but then again due to his unhinged sense of humor, and the fact that he was essentially pinned to the ground by two beautiful women, he guessed it was understandable. He wouldn't put it past him to make a joke about S&M plays to the Servants later, either.
"Wait." He sighed, as both Heroic Spirits looked at him questioningly.
"Kischur Zelretch Von Schweinorg, we meet again," he said grinning.
"Harry!" the Dead Apostle exclaimed jovially, well as jovially as he could with his face being planted in the carpet by his Servants, "Last time we met, you were much smaller. And had far fewer girlfriends. Already building a harem, my boy? I'm so proud of you!"
"You know him?" Sakura asked incredulously. Zelretch was famous in the Magus world, what with him being a True Magician, a Dead Apostle, and someone who had saved the Earth when the original Crimson Moon had tried to smash the Moon on it. Needless to say, any Magus worth their Crest knew about him.
"Aye. That is another kind of long story," he said sheepishly.
"Explain." came the unanimous chorus of the girls in the room.
"Well, exactly how familiar are all of you with the Second True Magic?"
-Break-
It took Harry about fifteen minutes to explain to everyone his background with Zelretch, his home reality, how the old Wizard Marshall sent him to this reality to fix the Grail War, and his promise of a family. Needless to say, all the females present were beaming at Harry at the end of the explanation, while they glared at the aged Dead Apostle for knowingly putting him through Hell.
"So, Zelretch, what exactly are you here for? I understand that I fulfilled my end of the bargain, but you also fulfilled yours. I have quite a few loved ones here."
"Well kid, here's how it is. You literally saved this entire universe from a malevolent god, and if I don't pay you back it just sets a bad example, doesn't it? So here is what I'm gonna do for you. I'm going to take you under my wing. From what I hear, you got Kiritsugu back there become your new dad. I'm gonna be your new gramps, Sakura and Illya too. I'm gonna teach you how to use the Kaleidoscope so you can pop back between here and your home world. Trust me, interesting stuff is happening there, and you're gonna want to get involved in."
Harry was stunned. It wasn't every day that a Master True Magician appeared in your bedroom, declared you his new grandson, and offered to teach you one of the most powerful magics in the Multiverse. He was beginning to wonder if he had ever truly woken up from his dream with Gaia, as it seemed he was already well on his way to become one of the most powerful beings on the planet at not even eleven years old. He was, after all, able to use the Denial of Nothingness, the Heaven's Feel, and was supposedly someone with the full backing of the Will of the Planet. Either one of these things was impossible by normal Magus standards, and he had done all three.
"Pardon, sir?" he asked, briefly stumbling over his words. Technically he didn't really have to respect Zelretch, for respect for another Magus was usually determined by their status compared to your own, and since Harry was a True Magician twice over, technically his rank was higher than the old man's. However, he was decided to be polite to his elders, so he made sure that his words were polite.
"Don't call me sir. Call me Gramps, or Pappy, or whatever else you can come up with." Grinned the old man, looking like he was having fun causing a nervous breakdown to everyone in the room.
"Yes... Gramps. Speaking of which, how exactly are you so sure I can perform the Second True Magic? I can do the First and Third apparently, but I still haven't figured out how. I'd have made more of an effort, but I've been slightly busy."
"You mean you didn't work it out kid? What did you think happened when someone with the Holy Grail implanted in them developed a reality marble? The big thing the Grail does is open a portal to Akasha. That's what you got as a reality marble, a giant link to the Akashic record. What did you do before you got the Denial of Nothingness?"
"Uhh, I ate an apple off of a tree," he replied.
"Uh huh. Now tell, me what does your reality marble look like?"
"A really perfect garden. There are a bunch of extinct animals, I can't find a species of plant that isn't there, and that one tree is in the central clearing."
"Alright kid, now I want you to think for a moment. What is the most perfect, ancient garden in the world, the wellspring of all creation? And what famous tree is in it?"
"The Garden of Eden, and The Tree of Knowledg-"
"Got it in one kid. That's your reality marble's name, coincidentally. Garden of Eden. It's basically a mobile, mental workshop fully equipped for whatever you need. With your Denial of Nothingness, anything you build in there you can make in the outside world."
"How exactly do you know all of this... Gramps. I mean, it all makes sense, but how exactly do you know all of this?" groaned Harry. It didn't make sense! Or maybe Zelretch had been spying on an alternate world similar to the one they were in?
"Well, kiddo, I'm just that good."
The entire room just stared at him, completely baffled by the bizarre Magician.
"Oh alright. I'm Master of the Kaleidoscope. If I want to know something, I can either just monitor it in this universe, or check out a virtually identical parallel universe. There's one where I do the exact same thing to you, but a mouse in Croatia has an extra toe. That's the one I generally used as a comparison. Completely the same, except for one tiny, irrelevant detail."
"I see," was all Harry could say.
"So then Harry, what do you say? Will you be my apprentice?"
The wide, unhinged smile sent his way made shivers travel down his spine, but he couldn't deny that Zelretch had given him what he had always craved, a family, and that knowing the Second True Magic would be a boon. He could already tell that the Clock Tower were going to freak out when they discovered that there was a new True Magician, and while he had Servants and Homonculi to look after Sakura and Kiritsugu, it never hurt to have the ability to relocate to a universe where the Clock Tower didn't even exist.
"O-Okay, Gramps."
The grin on Zelretch's face was widely known as the bane of the Multiverse.
-Break-
"Come on Harry! Run faster!" cried the psychotic old man behind him.
He was deeply regretting letting the old man teach him the Kaleidoscope. His idea of "teaching" was dragging him in through the front door of the Clock Tower, announcing him the Master of the First and Third True Magics, and then immediately dragging him up to his new quarters. While they hadn't stayed long enough to see the resulting chaos, Harry had heard from his maids that several influential Lords were already contemplating on how to get in his good graces, and that a few Magi had even died from shock then and there.
From there, he was given an unyielding, brutal training in the Second True Magic. It wasn't Zouken's brand of brutal, there was nothing like the crest worms, the old man just didn't accept anything less than perfection. Over the course of a month the old man taught him the operation of his reality marble, Garden of Eden, and the operation of parallel worlds. His free time was mostly devoted to the study of the various disciplines he thought would be useful, such as Thought Acceleration and Memory Partition. Zelretch was all too happy to provide books on these subjects, as he had told Harry that having an organized mind made everything a lot easier (although he truly didn't want to contemplate what the Dead Apostle's idea of "organized" meant).
Even in his sleep, he had received no rest. Zelretch had explained to him the situation in his home, how he was the subject of a prophecy in a society of wizards of all things. How that strange Tom fellow in his brain was a remnant of the evil dark lord that had tried to kill him as a baby. The Horcrux was essentially removed, leaving only information and experience. His sleep was primarily dedicated to practicing something called "Occlumency", which was essentially the ability to organize the mind to make it more efficient and able to repel invaders. He suspected that his reality marble would stymie most trespassers, since it literally required a way of thinking completely incomprehensible to the average human, but it never hurt to have a backup plan.
What he was currently absorbed in was the Wizard Marshal's idea of "training."
Once he got the basic ideas of the Kaleidoscope down, he had been presented with a rod, which by Zelretch's explanation was "locked on" to the Clock Tower Universe. Then, without a word, he would get dropped into random realities, and stuck there until he could synchronize with the rod. The first reality had been rather mundane, at least by the crazy magus' standards. It was a society in which people could only communicate by screaming at the top of their lungs. He had been stuck there for four days. It was annoying, but not life threatening, fortunately. That came much later. Like now.
This reality, several down the line, was one in which the Cthulhu Mythos was real. He was stuck running from a giant tentacled monstrosity the size of Midnight (the giant-sized one) while Zelretch rode on its shoulder with a megaphone and a pellet gun, taking potshots every once in a while. Eventually, he escaped the thing long enough to concentrate and synchronize with the rod, access the Kaleidoscope, use the rod to set "coordinates" as it were, and travel right as the being smashed the warehouse he was hiding in. He popped out in his apartment, where Sakura was reading a book with Monica.
The girls had all come along with him, staying in the very generous apartments he had been given within the Clock Tower. Within ten minutes of Zelretch's announcement of his True Magic, Lorelei Barthomeloi, Vice-Director of the Clock Tower and really the highest authority figure had stormed in and demanded proof. He had instantly projected the diamond sword. Wordlessly, he handed it over and she looked it over like it contained all the secrets of the universe. Finally, it dawned on her that he was telling the truth and she nearly fell to her knees in awe.
The Barthomeloi family for some reason almost worshiped the Denial of Nothingness. Some hypothesized that it was because users literally possessed the power of the Creator, but that was just speculation. He just prayed that Assassin and Lorelei never had a long conversation, or he had serious risk of a cult on his hands. And with the authority the Head of the Barthomeloi family wielded, she might even make it the official Magic religion, just on principle. And given that most Magi wouldn't mind accepting said religion so long as they could keep trying to find a way to reach the Root, well he kept his fingers crossed.
Needless to say, doors were open to him at the Clock Tower from then on.
On his few days off, Harry visited Kiritsugu in the new Emiya estate. Feeling guilty about the destruction of his house, he had gathered a bunch of supplies, projected the rest, and alchemically turned the already large house into a sprawling manor. The neighborhood association had raised hell about it, but Illya just went down and hypnotized them into compliance. The house was nearly triple its original size, with room for a workshop for Kiritsugu, kitchens for himself, a workshop for Illya, a workshop for Sakura, a single bedroom with a massive bed for himself and the girls, with an adjoining bathroom. Really, the house just had everything he, Illya, Sakura, Kiritsugu, or the Servants could want.
A similar process of hypnosis had gone into, making Kiritsugu into the legal guardian of Harry, Sakura, and Illya. A couple of disoriented social workers, some fake paperwork, and voila! Adoption!
Speaking of Illya, he'd had a rather interesting conversation with her several days prior.
-Flashback-
Harry had just finished preparing dinner and went to wake her from her nap. He opened the door to find her writhing on the floor, her circuits flaring as an uncomfortable heat filled the room. He rushed over to her, but didn't know what to do. He was about to try calling her maids when she calmed down a bit, collapsing in exhaustion. After telling the others he would be late for dinner, he put her in the bed and waited for her to wake up.
It took her about an hour before she awoke. She tried to sit up, but he put a hand up, keeping her down. He had demanded an explanation, and while she had avoided answering at first, he was nothing if not stubborn, and he had eventually managed to wear her down and coax what had happened out of her. The resulting explanation had almost seen him calling all his Servants for a coordinated strike on the Eizbern family.
It was bad enough to take a young, innocent girl and turn her against her father simply over a grudge. It was another to reduce that child's lifespan to a couple of years at most simply to make her a more effective killer. It was during Illya's tearful confession that he learned of the near-constantpain she was in, both due to her modifications and the strain of supporting a massive Servant like Berserker without the aid of the Grail. Apparently, she had kept quiet out of fear that if Harry fixed her, she would have to send Berserker back to the Throne. She loved her Servant dearly, nearly as much as a father, or him, and would have been devastated if she had been forced to do so.
She then in a much more sly tone, reminded him that Berserker was also rather fond of him and would likely be cooperative were he to take over the contract.
Sometimes he forgot that she was raised by the Einzberns.
He had of course agreed, if only to lessen the strain on her body, and at that point, he had more or less accepted the idea that he was akin to a prana battery, with a capacity dwarfing even Illya's, despite the fact that she was specifically modified to have a prana capacity higher than anyone else. He had called Caster in just as Berserker materialized. The ebony giant seemed to get the general idea of what was going on at least, as he patted Illya on the head like a father comforting a child, repeating the action on Harry as well.
Caster had then taken out Rule Breaker, since it was the easiest way to end the contract between the Homonculus and the Servant. Pricking him with it proved a slight problem due to his God Hand Noble Phantasm, and the end solution was the Mad Servant sticking out his tongue and getting poked, while Illya could barely keep from laughing, since Berserker looked like he was at the dentist. When the dagger penetrated, he felt another weight on his prana, far bigger than any of the others along with the burning of command seals. Unlike the mental links with his other Servants, which they turned on and off at will, the link with Berserker was a constant stream on his exact desire to kill. Harry possessed a new-found appreciation for Illya at the knowledge of how much thought he had to dedicate to telling the Servant, "No, I really don't want Kiritsugu dead. No, not anyone else either. No, I also don't want this house leveled, thank you very much."
Illya let out an audible and visible sigh of relief at the strain being removed from her circuits. For anyone that wasn't a True Magician, that strain must have been unbearable. With that sorted, he moved on to fixing the various "modifications" the Einzbern family had made on her. They were rather extensive, spanning her entire body, but severely limiting her lifespan. Fortunately, his knowledge of homunculi made the majority easy to remove, and his knowledge of the Denial of Nothingness helped with the rest. When the process was done, Illya was a perfectly normal little girl (well, perhaps not normal, but as normal as someone like her could be in those circumstances). She was still a powerful magus, more powerful than someone like Rin, but not by much. She would live a long life, grow at a normal rate, and use magecraft like a normal magus.
As the German homunculus encased him in one of those thirty minute hugs of hers, his mind drifted to his vengeance on the Einzberns.
And what vengeance it would be. One did not casually dick with the family of a True Magician. Maybe he'd even call in Zelretch for help. He had claimed her as his granddaughter after all. Destroying the Eizberns was one thing, but with the old bloodsucker's cooperation, he would also likely destroy their sanity as well.
-The Next Day-
Panic filled the grand halls of the Einzbern castle as explosions rocked them. The female combat homunculi that also doubled as maids for the castle ran all around, trying to find and eliminate the source of the intrusion as the various Einzbern magi screamed at and generally degraded them. Any rational person would have mutinied at the treatment, but the legion of maids had been conditioned since birth to show complete, unwavering loyalty to the head of the Einzbern family.
Fortunately, Harry had taken this into account.
One by one, the various magi making up the Einzbern clan started dropping. The methods of killing were rather diverse. Some had their heads exploded, others their hearts crushed, some poisoned, and others stabbed.
Finally, only one was left standing: Jubstacheit von Einzbern. He had barricaded himself in his office, with a dozen maids guarding the door. As the Head of the Family, he was the one considered the most important to protect, as only he had access to all the secrets of the family's Magecraft, and until he started teaching an heir, should he die those secrets would vanish with him.
Little did he know, even the special protection provided by specially created Homonculi didn't do much to stop an Assassin class Servant on a warpath.
Behind the panicking white haired magus, a black form materialized, hidden in the shadows. A hypersonic sound was emitted from her mouth, which happened to react to magical circuits in a very specific manner.
The Einzbern head suddenly relaxed at his desk. Reaching into its drawers, he removed a piece of legal paper and a pen. He wrote a document to the effect as he spoke over the synchronized resonator crystals embedded throughout the castle, acting as a PA system of sorts.
"Attention all castle personnel. I, Jubstacheit von Einzbern, head of the Einzbern family, do on this day announce my stepping down from the office of head of the Einzbern family. As payment for the crimes committed against him and his family and as I bear no naturally born heirs eligible for the position, I name to effect one Harry James Emiya to the title of head of Clan Einzbern. All assets, privileges, obligations, and personnel that come with the position are to be turned over from me to him. This change is to be effective immediately. Long live the Einzberns.
Signed, Jubstacheit von Einzbern"
As he finished his signature, Assassin walked up behind him, picked up the document, checked it over, sealed it in an envelope, and then forced the magus under her control to run out into the wilderness to be eaten by wolves. A fitting end for someone who had done the same to Illya when it had been time to summon a Servant. The Eizberns had supposed that the desperation would motivate her, and motivate her it had.
As Harry strolled up to the gates of the castle, flanked by Leanna, Monica, and Joy, the group of forty maids blockading it demanded identification. He stated his name for them and watched as they all stood to the side and bowed. They opened the gate, and followed after him as he went in. He ended up repeating the process with every group of maid he passed until he arrived at the largest courtyard, a steady stream of combat maids following reverently in his wake.
Inside the snowy courtyard, he stepped up to the podium and surveyed the crowd. With the Einzbern clan dead, the maids were the only ones left. As the castle was massive and they also had to double as security personnel for a bunch of paranoid magi, there were quite a lot of them. Also, as he later learned, the death of transference of the head of the clan activated special protocols, engaging the homunculi usually stored in stasis for later use or labeled as failures. This was to ensure that the entire staff was aware of who the new head was, so there was no miscommunication. When was all said and done, there were about one and a half thousand young women gathered below him in the massive courtyard. They were looking up at him expectantly, as if ready to judge his worthiness.
"Greetings," he began, "Homunculi of the Einzbern family. As you have no doubt heard, I am Harry Emiya, the new head of the family. As such, I have apparently inherited all of you as property. I do not wish for that. I do not wish for companions and servants that are only seen by themselves and others as property, so I will say this: any woman here who wishes to leave, now or at any point in the future is free to do so. No actions will be taken against them and no negative consequences will occur. They will receive a generous severance package, containing pay they would have received equivalent for their time in service here. That being said, any who do stay will receive salary, benefits, vacation days, and every other perk that comes with being an employee of the Einzbern family. Now, I ask of you all: will you stay here under me, or leave to find your own path?"
There was a tense moment as the rows of assembled combat maids gazed up at him, looking into his eyes as if attempting to judge his sincerity, their gaze also flickering to the three homunculi maid behind him, noting how they stood proudly and tall behind him. It seemed that a silent verdict was passed as one by one the homunculi fell to their knees, heads bowed in respect, before all declaring in a singular, unanimous voice,
"All Hail Lord Harry Einzbern!"